Shipping Labels
Summary
Buy, manage, print, and automate shipping labels in Flxpoint through its ShipEngine integration - rate shop across carriers and purchase labels directly on fulfillment requests. Covers requirements, the purchase flyout, bulk printing, Vendor Portal sharing, automation, and carrier-specific label fields.
Flxpoint integrates with ShipEngine so you can rate shop across multiple carriers and buy shipping labels directly inside Flxpoint: without working with each carrier individually. This page covers buying, managing, printing, and automating labels. To set up your ShipEngine connection, see the ShipEngine & Flxpoint guide.
A label purchase is validated before it can complete. Make sure these are in place first.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| ShipEngine account | An active ShipEngine account with at least one connected carrier account, linked to Flxpoint using your ShipEngine credentials. |
| From / To addresses | Both addresses must include Address, City, State, Postal Code, Country, First Name, Last Name, and Phone. Missing fields block the purchase. |
| Ship date | Defaults to today; can be changed in the flyout. |
| Items & quantities | Specify which line items and how many are included in the shipment. |
| Package & weight | Package dimensions and packed weight. Items with weights contribute to the calculated total. |
| Shipping method mapping | The source must have at least one shipping method mapped to a carrier connected through ShipEngine (a Global Shipping Carrier Method). |
Labels are tied to Unprocessed Fulfillment Requests / Orders (FR/FOs). From the FR/FO, click Actions → Buy Shipping Label to open the flyout, then:
- Review & edit addresses. The "From" address auto-populates from the Source address; the "To" address from the FR/FO shipping address. Editing either here changes only the label. The flyout flags any missing required address fields.
- Set the ship date (defaults to today) and optionally enable auto-create shipment using the label's tracking information.
- Set line-item quantities. Adjust quantities or remove items. Item weights feed the package weight estimate.
- Add a package. Click Add Package and select a default carrier package (the source must have a method tied to a Global Shipping Carrier Method), or create/reuse a custom package under the Custom Packaging tab. Total weight recalculates on selection. A package is required before checking rates.
- Check rates. Click Check Rates to rate shop across available Global Source Shipping Methods, then click Add Method on your chosen option.
- Add insurance & delivery confirmation. Default is "No insurance required"; you can choose ParcelGuard or Carrier Insurance. Then pick a delivery confirmation method.
- Finalize. Set the label size if needed (default
4"x6"), click Buy Shipping Label to review the preview, and confirm. After purchase you choose a format (PDF, PNG, or ZPL) to attach to the FR/FO.
When configuring the Ship By field, Flxpoint supports two specific date formats: YYYY-MM-DD HH:mm:ss (full timestamp) and YYYY-MM-DD (date only). These formats ensure proper validation and parsing within your shipping workflows.
| Task | How |
|---|---|
| View / download | Use the Manage Shipping Labels action on the FR/FO. A "Label Purchased" badge appears once a label exists. |
| Void a label | Void from the same action if needed. Void events are recorded in Order Status History. |
| Attach to email integrations | Use the Add Attachment option to attach the label. |
| Bulk print | Go to Orders → Fulfillment Requests, check the requests you want, click Print, and choose the shipping label option. |
| Vendor Portal access | Once an FR/FO is processed with a purchased label, the label is automatically available to your vendor: no manual attachment needed. With auto-create enabled, the shipment and tracking appear under Fulfillments. |
Through a fulfillment request strategy, Flxpoint can rate shop and buy labels automatically. Prerequisites: products must have dimensions (width, length, weight), your ShipEngine account must be connected with sufficient funds, shipping labels enabled, and packing/carrier preferences set.
| Automation feature | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto rate shop & purchase | Automatically rate shops and buys the shipping label for matching fulfillment requests. |
| Failure notifications | Email alerts when the automation fails. Enable at Global Settings → Notifications → Automate Shipping Label Failure. |
| Auto package attachments | Automatically attaches labels and/or packing slips to the FR. Set per source under Fulfillment Requests → strategy → enable auto-attachment. Supported only for file-based, HTML, or PDF integrations. |
| Create shipment from label | Auto-creates a shipment after a label is auto-purchased and the FR is processed or acknowledged. Does not apply to manually purchased labels. |
You can map Flxpoint fields (e.g. Fulfillment Request Number, Order ID, Order Reference Number) onto carrier reference fields at Global Settings → Orders → Shipping Labels using the Shipping Carrier Custom Label Fields toggle. Rules can be added to each field to modify the mapped value.
| Carrier | Available reference fields & limits |
|---|---|
| UPS | Customer Reference (REF): 35 characters |
| USPS | Reference 1, Reference 2, Reference 3: 60 characters each |
| FedEx | CA & US Customer Reference (REF) (35 characters; Purchase Order Number (PO)) 35 characters |
| DHL Express | Customer Reference (REF): 35 characters |
| OnTrac | Reference 1, Reference 2: 25 characters each |
$2 to the estimate.Branded labels and tracking portals require setup
To use ShipEngine branded shipping labels (label_image_id) or the Branded Tracking Portal (themeId), you must first configure these assets in your ShipEngine or ShipStation account. Once configured, contact Flxpoint Support to enable the feature flags required to pass these parameters during the label purchase workflow.
Missing address-field errors when opening the flyout
"Check Rates" returns nothing or no method is selectable
Carrier selection disappeared before purchase
Automated label purchase failed
Global Settings → Notifications → Automate Shipping Label Failure.Custom label fields don't show up in settings
Reference value got cut off on the printed label
Shipping Label cannot be purchased without all required dimensions and weight information?
This error occurs when Flxpoint cannot find the necessary physical attributes for the items in the fulfillment request. Flxpoint first attempts to pull dimensions and weight from the Source Inventory variant; if those fields are empty, it falls back to the dimensions stored in the Product Catalog. Ensure dimensions are populated in at least one of these locations. Note that Flxpoint does not auto-rotate package dimensions, so ensure your package constraints match the physical orientation of the items.
Which FR/FOs can I buy a label for?
Actions → Buy Shipping Label.What label formats can I download?
4"x6" and can be changed before purchase.Does the estimated rate match what I'll actually pay?
$2 to the estimate.Can vendors create their own labels through the Vendor Portal?
Why won't auto-create shipment work on my manual labels?
Why was my custom reference field shortened on the label?
How dimensions are sourced
When you purchase a shipping label through Flxpoint, the system requires complete weight and dimension data (Length, Width, and Height) to calculate accurate rates. Flxpoint uses a specific order of precedence to find this data across your product records.
Source Inventory: Flxpoint first looks for dimensions and weight on the specific Source Inventory variant associated with the fulfillment.
Product Catalog: If the Source Inventory record is missing any of the required fields, the system falls back to the dimensions stored in the Master Catalog (Product Catalog) for that variant.
Troubleshooting label errors
Shipping Label cannot be purchased without all required dimensions
This error occurs when the system cannot find a complete set of data in either the Source Inventory or the Product Catalog. If your vendor does not provide dimensions in their inventory feed, you must manually ensure the dimensions are populated in the Product Catalog for that SKU.
Dimension mismatches
If a label purchase fails despite data being present, verify that the dimensions are logically consistent with your shipping carrier's constraints. Note that Flxpoint does not automatically rotate package dimensions to fit carrier limits (e.g., if a carrier has a max height of 12 inches and your product is listed as 15 inches high but 10 inches wide, the system will not "lay it down" to make it fit).
Verifying dimension data
You can check and edit this data in the following locations:
Source Inventory: Navigate to Inventory, select the Source, and open the Variant detail page.
Product Catalog: Navigate to the Product Catalog and open the Product details for the specific variant.
Note: Currently, there is no global setting to force the system to prioritize Product Catalog dimensions over Source Inventory; the system always checks the Source first.
What it does
When purchasing shipping labels within Flxpoint, the system validates your product dimensions against your configured box sizes to ensure the item fits. If the item dimensions exceed the capacity of your largest available box, the label purchase will fail.
Understanding dimension validation
Flxpoint looks at dimensions from two places to validate a fit: the Source Inventory record and the Master Catalog product record. If dimensions are missing from the source but present on the product, the system will use the product data for validation.
Note: The validation system does not account for item orientation or "flipping." It compares raw L x W x H values directly. For example, a 27x9x27 item will not fit in a 30x30x12 box because one dimension (27) exceeds the box's height (12), even if the item could physically fit if laid flat.
Common issues
Error: "Shipping Label cannot be purchased without all required dimensions..."
While this error often suggests missing data, it also triggers when no configured box is large enough to accommodate the item. If you have confirmed that both weight and dimensions (Length, Width, Height) are present on the product or source inventory, the issue is a box size mismatch.
Item is smaller than the box but still failing?
Ensure that every individual dimension of the item is smaller than the corresponding dimension of the box. Because the system does not rotate items to find a better fit, you may need to adjust your box configurations or select a different packaging type where the height, width, and length all accommodate the item's specific orientation.
How to resolve
Verify dimensions: Check the Master Catalog or Source Inventory to ensure the item has accurate L x W x H and weight data.
Review box settings: Navigate to your shipping settings and verify that you have a box large enough to hold the item's largest side.
Adjust packaging: If the item is physically capable of fitting but failing validation, consider adding a new box size that accounts for the item's specific L x W x H orientation.